Cinema Society

RENOIR

Average
Rating

2.8

Tuesday, April 02, 2013, AMC La Jolla 12 Theatres

Invited Guest: Susan Vreeland

TUESDAY, April 2

On Screen: 4:30pm and 7:30pm (You Pick!)

AMC La Jolla 12 Theatres (Auditorium #9)

Cinema Chat and Introduction begins 15 minutes prior to screenings

Discussion follows screenings

RENOIR

The Côte dAzur. 1915. In his twilight years, Pierre-Auguste Renoir is tormented by the loss of his wife, the pains of arthritic old age and the terrible news that his son Jean has been wounded in action. But when a young girl miraculously enters his world, the old painter is filled with a new, wholly unexpected energy. Blazing with life, radiantly beautiful, Andrée will become his last model, and the wellspring of a remarkable rejuvenation. Back at the family home to convalesce, Jean too falls under the spell of the new, redheaded star in the Renoir firmament. In their Mediterranean Eden - and in the face of his father's fierce opposition - he falls in love with this wild, untameable spirit... and as he does so, within weak-willed, battle-shaken Jean, a filmmaker begins to grow. A Samuel Goldwyn Films Release.

Running Time: 111 Minutes. Rated R for sequences of art-related nudity and brief language

PLEASE NOTE: RENOIR is in French with English Subtitles

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4-Apr-13: SiouxMac - Rating: 2

I thought the cinematography was stellar but the story-telling fell short. I felt as though I was expected to know the details of his life before the film even started - what his illness was, what his marriage was like, and who his mistresses were. None of these questions were really answered to my satisfaction. Ultimately, it was pretty boring, and not one I'd recommend to my friends.

3-Apr-13: Karolen - Rating: 4

I found this film to be completely captivating ---

the quality of the cinematography, the lighting

and the music almost had me in a trance. I do

believe "The Boss" would have approved.

Like a Renoir painting, all of the little touches

made a beautiful cinematic experience.

3-Apr-13: judy s - Rating: 1

Sooooooo slow. Should have been titled Renoirs. Of interest to me is that the scenery colors matched the background colors in Renoir's paintings. Not clear cut and vibrant but rather a wash of earth tones. .

3-Apr-13: Paul - Rating: 3

As others have noted, from a purely visual perspective, the film was wonderful to watch -- my rating of 3 reflects that, had it not been for that my rating would be a 1 or 2.

It was clear from the onset that the director and cinematographer viewed the scenery, the lighting and the bodies of the beautiful women as more important than the actual storyline. In fact, the story telling was weak in my opinion.

The synopsis suggests the story they wanted to tell -- the old painter filled with a new, wholly unexpected energy, a father's fierce opposition to his son's affection for his new muse, the weak-willed, battle-shaken Jean growing into a filmmaker -- but they appear to have misplaced that script. I would have enjoyed seeing that movie -- this was not it.

3-Apr-13: jh - Rating: 3

Sometimes it’s nice to disengage your brain and soak in the beauty around you; like, for example, enjoying a classical concert or sitting in your beach chair, watching the waves. That’s what it was like last night. Renoir himself endorsed this mind-set, “I arrange my subject as I want it, then I go ahead and paint it, like a child.”

3-Apr-13: Mroe - Rating: 3

Beautifully shot film, like watching a Renoir painting come to life. I did come away with more questions than answers and felt muck like a needed a playbook to tell me who was who, maybe it was that the maker of the film “assumed” that the all views would know the story of Renoir’s life but I think there should have still been a bit more background information on the various “players”. What role did Gabrielle really play in their lives (though it was explained during the discussion she had been another “model”) but the movie made it seem like she was a daughter/sister/much more...??? The relationship (or rather lack of) with Coco seemed odd, was it because he came along so late in life or was it possible he was another “model's” child that was being raised by Renoir?...and who was the father of those other babies that were around (Renoir? or men off at war?)...??? was Renoir losing his sight or was that just how he saw life/the world (slightly out of focus)?...where they really rich or just lived like it, was Renoir a successful painter (financially)? This movie has also piqued my curiosity about Jean and his film career...and when I look at a Renoir painting again I may just look at it a little differently now.

3-Apr-13: Jan Percival - Rating: 3

Here's an interesting tidbit ... Jean Renoir's Grand Illusion (1937) was the first foreign film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture (it lost to Frank Capra's You Can't Take It With You).

3-Apr-13: Mary - Rating: 5

Thanks for a lovely movie about an artist most of us know little about. A great reminder for all us to focus on beauty and color and not the straight line!!! I learned a great deal and will return to Paris enlightened! Check out current exhibit in NYC for those traveling this month.

3-Apr-13: Georgi - Rating: 2

I finally have something in common with my favorite artist, Renoir. We both have had the opportunity to watch paint dry. Nothing happened in this film. But it looked lovely as it lulled me into a sleepy state knowing I wouldn't miss a thing. Even the music provided a lullaby. It was interesting to watch the "faux" artist's strokes as he recreated beautiful work a la Renoir....it was like sitting and staring at a painting for two hours. Jean Renoir's films were dynamic. This was dull.

2-Apr-13: RichG - Rating: 2

The lighting was the only part of this "snooze-fest" worth the twelve hour running time. People who suffer insomnia may find this the perfect cure for what ails them. Just which of these characters were we to give a damn about? It's a puzzlement to me.